Removable partition



June 15, 1948. P, P, s, 'VWL-SON 2,443,548

1 4 REMOVABLE PARTITION v Filed Jan. '7, 1944 Patented June 15, 1948 'las t #if .L-.Rz 'z- ES; PTENJI? Q EEECEL,

v 2,443,54822v f REMQVABLE PARTITI-ON..

PhilpP.- SgWils'on, Falls Church; Va:

Applieatonf January.: 7, 1944,K Sei'fialgNo.;` 517541V.

@BZN-4t 2 Claims".

Tins.. invention relates to `partitions that are generally provided. in .buildings to separate. large.

areas.,-in`to,.an. arrangement ois-rnallerv rooms. and.

more :particularly to :a ,type of partition that cany readily. be .moved about .to obtain.; ai refarra-ngefmentl of 'such rooms...

One of. the objects yof the presenttinvention .is to.- .provide a novel construction iorhsuch. a` partitionvthat. ist sound-prooi?` and. that..will`f-permit' rapid erection. or. removal.. without directly' anchoring into and...thereby damagingor. destroying the existing. walls, vfloors, ceiling. or. columns of .a building.

Another. obj ect .is to .provide vcusllioning ,means for taking up. irregularities inthefsurfaces that receive. this partition landlor insuring the partition againstlateral-displacement.

A further object. is to provide a construction thatis suitable for the fabrication oithe parts or" for the; prefabrication of sectionalor. panel unitsatamanufacturing place in sizes and formsthat could easilyl be transportedto a building,v

anderected' in place.' ata very reasonable. cost;

The above and'iurth'er 'objects' andi novel "features of' the' inventionwill' more vfully appear from the following detailed description .and the accompanyingdrawing; itbeing understood that the". drawingis f for" purpose of L`illustration only andis'not' designed as aJv definition of'the limits of the'invention' In the accompanying .drawin'gjlike.reference ncharacters refer to' like parts. throughout: the' several"views'and where arrows 'appear theviews arein'thedirectioniofsaidarrowsf.

' Figure- 1"" is" alsma'll i scale elevation" of the 4removable partitionas :erecte'din' atroom'.

`Figure Zjis-'a'longitudinal section' through the.

frameconstructionof apartitiontaken' on i lines 2*-'2" of-'tlreliigures 'and' 4; showingadjacentI of Figure 1, showing the-assembly of adjstcent` panels-whereadooroccurs.

Figure "Tis across section through the 'frame of a partition identicalwith vthe section represented'by-'Figure 3,` but'with the outer'framein acontraeted -positiomcharacteristic of the' frame construction before-installation or: erection.

Figure 8 is a cross section through the frame..

of thepartition identical `with thegstructure rep- 2.." resented. by Figuree; .but,.witli.itlie outer. frame in a.. contracted@ position., characteristic.. of the structurebefre its erection.

In. .th e eXi'sting art. partitions. referredli to as, being of the removable typeare.erectedinplace. by,u drillinggor.; cutting sl ots o1'- hol es in the' floor, ceiling. and.' side..- wall ,construction t of l a building... for, the. purposemf iastening1thereto by anchors,- amember that'isintended' toiorni..t a... base fOrtheerection of eithenbuiltin-place ,or prefab?- ricated 'partition panels .and.. ywhenever iti's necessary tolremovesuch a partition vthe ,1l'oors, walls andi ceilingsv ,are generally-v in need. offrepairs to lill the slots or vholes and 'tocorrect the-,damages causedl byv the previous. installation oi.4 such a partition:

It islone of Vtliemain purposes of thisiinvention' to so construct the partition panels as to; make.. it; possible" to install this .partition byl expanding certain marginal members. of the frame that. are' ,proyid'dl with ,cushions ofrin flexible material; against .tlie, existingfloors; wa11's,. an d `ceilings with. a pressure suilicient to rigidly: ysecure such partition panelsV againstallmovement With.- out in anyway necessitating,theV cutting or mar'- ringof [the surface finish o'ithe said"wa1l's', floors, and ceilings.

The partition construction consists. primarily of an inner frame formed by .tiievertical members 331 identicaliorjboth sides ofeacnpaneL.

the horizontalmembers Zlidentical 'for both the top; andlbottom of-` each' panel; and' outer' eX- panding frame ,members 30( identical for the" top andbottom of each" panel and; also4 for thel side: member of'a p'artitionpanelwhere-it is intended to place. same in contact with awall; pierorv pilaster.

The` inner and outerj' frame members' of each panel are held; together and'in alignment' by' a number of retaining; bolts andl expandingvsprings; usually Anot less 'than' two of 'each to.: each'` side of a*paneloflapartition.4

The retaining bolts 23'1are` of`suiicient length tol permit a' reasonable movementforv the1outer' expanding; frame; member' 30iinprelation tothe inner frame member"21^ without permittingV the threaded ends to lose contact with the( retainingv nuts 3?15.'

'Ih'e` body. section ofthe retaining bolts 2 3"'are .slotte'd lengthwise at 4U`to formzkeyways that are engaged by. splines of relativeV dimensions.l in'- tegralwithtlie operatingnuts 24'Iwliichare slideablymountedlon saidbolt body..

The retaining` nuts.3`l are preferably square and;

" are. slid'eably mountedi'n a corre'snondingdsquare cut pocket in theinner' frame 21""thatw1lLpreventitheirjturning, and'are retainedli'nsaizllpocket by the' coverl plates" 29"securefdbynaiis orscrews tosaidinnerframe 2L.

y`Expansion coil springs 32 are interposed between the inner and outer frame member of the partition panel and are held in position within the cir-cular cuts 4| in both frames.

The retaining bolts 23 are turned by the operating nuts 24 for compressing the expansion springs 32 or releasing their expanding force to change the position of the outer frame member in relation to the inner frame member. y

The frames are usually iinished with a panelling material 28 such as plywood, hardboard `or other such fabricated thin members which are fastened along the edges of the inner frame members 2l and 33 fully enclosing the framing members.

The finishing members 25 and 22 are not generally 'attached to the panels until after they are erected, thereby giving access to the mechanism used for expanding the outer frame members.

These members 25 and 22 are usually cut to the proper dimension and delivered to the site of the installation in bundles.

The outer expanding frame members 36 of the partiti-on panels are provided with a ribbed cushion 2 I of rubber or similar firm flexible material intended to form a soft but firm and non-slip contact with the surface of a floor, wall or ceiling as represented by the line 26 in all gures.

Where two prefabricated panels are joined to form a continuous partition the outer expanding member 36 is omitted and the adjoining inner vertical frame members 33 are locked together by the -clamps 34 let into the frames fiush'with the surf-ace, readily covered and held in place by the finishing cover members 25 as shown in Figure 5.

Construction similar to that described for adjoining panels is used where panels are joined to a door or window frame structure as illustrated in Figure 6, with the door panel frame represented by the member 35, the door by the member 36 and the door stop by member 31.

The method for the installation of these partition panels can readily be understood from a comparison of the Figures 7 and 3 and of the Figures 8 and 4, respectively.

Assuming tha-t these panels are prefabricated, they will reach the point of installation with the outer expanding frame members compressed against the inner frame members, as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, the retaining bolts 23 and nuts 3| acting against the expanding force of the spiral springs 32.

In the compressed position, the partition panels are usually of a lesser dimension than the distance between the surfaces that they are intended to contact, bear against and frictionally ancho-r to.

The partition panels are set in position and the retaining bolts 23 are turned by means of a wrench actu-ating the operating nuts 24 to Withdraw the threaded portions of bolts 23 from the retaining nuts 3| and thus permit the springs 32 to expand with their force exerting a strong pressure against the outer expanding frame member and through same against the ribbed cushion 2| and through same against the oor, ceiling or wall surfaces 20 to which surfaces frictional anchorage is obtained.

When these outer members 39 are thus expanded and surface pressure is fully developed between the cushions 2| and the supporting surfaces 2|), the resultant lateral resistance will be sufcient to prevent a possible displacement of the partition panel by any external pressure incidental to reasonable occupational operations within a building.

It is possible that the cushion 2| may have friction surfaces other than those shown such as cups, square or diamond ridging .or irregular patterns and that the panelling may be constructed of metal or other materials Without departing from the scope of my invention.

` Although I have shown certain preferred embodiments of my invention I desire it to be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereby as changes and variations may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention or the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a removable partition of the character described, partition panels consisting of a panelled and rigid inner frame, expanding marginal members with cushions of iirm flexible material disposed around the inner frame, a plurality of expansion coil springs interposed between the inner frame and the expanding marginal members, a plurality of retaining bolts disposed between the saidcoil springs connecting and aligning the inner frame with the expanding marginal members, a non-turning threaded retaining nut on the free end of the bold held slidably in a pocket of the inner frame, and a keyed operating nut slidably mounted on the slotted bolt shank for the purpose of turning said bolt to restrain, release and otherwise regulate the expansive force of the coil springs prior to and during the installation of the partition panels for the purpose of obtaining for said panels a secure bearing by spring pressure against the supporting surfaces as set forth hereposed between the panels and the marginal members, urging said marginal members away from said panels, and an actuating element slidably keyed to said bolt to rotate same and thereby adjust the relative position of the marginal members and t'he panels and regulate the expansive force of said springs and release said force tolprovide a displacement of the removable partition.

PHILIP P. S. WILSON.

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS v Number Name Date 1,616,768 Thomason Feb. 8, 1927 1,706,470 Swanson Mar. 26, 1929 1,758,489 Wheat 1 May 13, 1930 1,876,528 Walters Sept. 6, 1932 2,107,624 Berger Feb. 8, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS i Number Country Date 472,836 Germany June 3, 1929 

